Energy safety experts are understood to be in favour of pre-emptively cutting electricity to "localised" areas given poles and wires are a major source of damaging blazes. Victorians are locked in a fierce debate about the merits of switching off supplies. South Australia adopted the policy after the deadly 1983 Ash Wednesday fires.

On Sunday, more than 50 homes were destroyed in the Perth Hills suburbs of Parkerville and Stoneville after a privately owned power pole fell in hot and windy conditions.